Sleep still eluded her, though. Thoughts of Cain were at the forefront of her mind. They weren’t the angry thoughts she wanted to be having, but rather the sad, pathetic, wishing-he-was-there kind of thoughts. She tried to tell herself that the only reason she wanted him there was so that she could yell at him, which actually turned out to be mildly reassuring.
When she eventually fell asleep, Cain was waiting in her dreams. His husky, masculine scent surrounded Sarah as he embraced her. He kissed away her anger and her hurt, until she was lax in his arms, and then he simply held her.
Waking up, Sarah felt sick, not just with the nausea of early pregnancy, but sick with longing for Cain, and sick with herself for missing him in spite of everything that had happened.
After stewing in her sickness and self-loathing for a few moments, Sarah tried to sit up, but Snow stubbornly clung to her gown. Sarah braced herself on her elbow before carefully attempting to detach the little girl. She tried to pry Snow’s fingers from the fabric, but Snow let out a soft growl and tightened her grip.
“Need help?”
Sarah glanced up to see one of the twins crouching down next to her. For once, she wasn’t startled.
“Sure,” Sarah said, her voice a little raspy. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “I’m sorry, but…”
“Alder,” he supplied, brushing the canopy net aside.
Sarah noticed that most of the wolves were gone from the room. Only Meadow and the children, sans Caim, still remained sleeping. She watched as Alder reached out to pinch the back of Snow’s neck. She almost protested the gesture, but stopped when she noticed Snow’s hands loosen. As her small body went limp, Alder gently lifted her, placing her down on the furs.
“That’s a neat trick,” Sarah whispered, impressed that Snow hadn’t so much as stirred.
Alder smiled, and it seemed much more genuine than his brother’s perpetual grin. “One of the many benefits of having a wolf pup.”
She raised a brow. “There are many?”
He took her hand. “Come. You look like you could use some fresh air.”
Sarah nodded, letting Alder help her up. Her stomach lurched as she stood, and she reflexively gripped onto Alder’s arm for support.
He asked, “Do you want to lie back down?”
“No,” she said with a slight shake of her head. “I think I’ll be okay.”
Placing a hand on her hip, Alder guided her over to her slippers, and then out into the passageway. The air was much cooler in the tunnel, and Sarah could already feel her condition improving. Alder’s scent, and his strong, steady demeanor, reminded her of Cain. She begrudgingly found his touch comforting.
Chapter 3
The overcast sky dimly lit the moon room, filtering down from its half-open ceiling. The furs that Sarah and Hale had cleaned had been thrown into a large pile on the enclosed side of the room. She made her way over to the pile, plucking out one of her favorites, a large square blanket of stitched brown and white rabbit pelts. It was incredibly soft, and she didn’t feel too guilty about wrapping herself up in it, seeing as how the rabbits had all been used to feed the pack.
Alder grabbed one of the larger furs as well, securing it around his shoulders. It was only then that Sarah realized he was nude, and it disturbed her how comfortable she was becoming with the pack’s clothing-optional attitude.
“Can I get you anything?” he asked.
“A bucket would be nice,” she said, lowering herself to sit beside the cold fire pit.
Sarah heard the clang of metal and ceramic as Alder sifted through a wicker basket that rested against the wall behind her. He produced a large metal pail and handed it to her. She took it, recognizing it as the pail they used to heat up water for baths. Something about staring into the bottom of the bucket made her stomach lurch again, and this time she couldn’t hold back the surge of bile.
When she’d emptied the contents of her stomach into the pail, Sarah lifted her head and tugged at the collar of her gown. She felt hot all over, and was grateful when a gust of chilled air swept through the room.
“Here,” Alder said, offering her a cup of water. As she rinsed her mouth out, he sat down beside her and set to rekindling the fire. “When Grace comes back, ask if she has any mint stored away. It’ll help.”
Bluntly, she asked, “Why are you being so nice to me?”
He tilted his head towards her, looking bemused. “Why wouldn’t I be nice to you?”
She shifted uncomfortably. “I didn’t exactly make the best first impression.”
“No,” he agreed, turning back to the fire pit. “But you were upset. People do and say things they don’t mean when they’re upset.”